IWB... I was stationed @ MCAS Futenma in Okinawa from May 1978 to May 1979. Beside getting the daily results of the seasonal sumo tournaments in the Stars & Stripes sport section, the locals that run air station barber shops would have the sumo tournaments playing on their portable B&W TV's. Remebered the Yokozunas at the time... Kitanoumi, Wakanohama, Mienoumi, and the Great Wajima. Plus the Hawaiian , Jesse Kuhaulua aka Takamiyama Daigorō w/the highest ranking of sekiwake.
Sumo during my tour in Okinawa left quite an impression on me, to say at least. Didn't follow it much afterwards, other an occasional ESPN2 showing of a tournament.
D3